Acquaintances of driver shocked by Needham hit-and-run incident

Thursday

Nov 29, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 29, 2007 at 7:08 PM

Acquaintances of Jane Goodman, the 72-year-old driver who is accused of hitting Michael Dorfman in Needham Center on Wednesday night without stopping, were shocked to hear of the incident and described Goodman as a respected and admired member of the community.

Patrick Anderson

Acquaintances of Jane Goodman, the 72-year-old driver who is accused of hitting Michael Dorfman in Needham Center on Wednesday night and not stopping, were shocked to hear of the incident and described Goodman as a respected and admired member of the community.

“The woman has been a friend to a lot of people in town,” said Martin Hanley, organizer of the Dedham’s annual James Joyce Ramble running race. “I cannot believe she would have left the scene of an accident. She is just a very nice person.”

Calls to Goodman’s Dedham house Wednesday were not returned.

Hanley said Goodman was a dedicated runner and participated in numerous road races throughout the state, including the James Joyce Ramble. In this year’s race, Goodman was the only woman older than 70 to finish the 10-kilometer race.

Hanley said Goodman could frequently be seen running in Dedham and Needham, picking up litter and pieces of garbage discarded along the roadway as a public service.

“I was always worried about her being hit by some careless driver while she was running,” Hanley said. “Some people might call it eccentric, picking up litter, but she’s stuck to her running long after most people her age have stopped.”

Leslie Holmes, president of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra where Goodman played viola for many years, said orchestra members were saddened by the news and called Goodman a “great person.”

Max Hobart, music director for the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, said Goodman had done a lot for the orchestra.

“She is a wonderful lady who loves music and the orchestra,” Hobart said. “She has helped the orchestra a great deal over the years. This is a tragic accident.”